Implants for spinal fusion typically include a spacer to allow for growth of bone between adjacent vertebral bodies while restoring and maintaining intervertebral space height that is defined between the vertebral bodies. In some cases, a plate is used to provide stability during healing so as to allow the patient to quickly resume an active lifestyle. The profile of the plate, which is placed on the anterior aspect of the vertebral bodies, however, can lead to dysphasia or patient discomfort which has precipitated the development of what's known as “zero-profile” devices. One example of a conventional minimal-profile intervertebral implant is insertable substantially entirely into the intervertebral space so as to not substantially extend beyond the footprint of the vertebral bodies that define the intervertebral space.
Other intervertebral implants have been utilized that include a frame shaped in a manner so as to interface with a spacer made from PEEK. Such spacer bodies typically are customized to have complimentary features to the frame so that the spacer bodies may be affixed to the frame. Such frames may not be desirable for spacer bodies made from allograft, however, because allograft spacer bodies may vary in shape, may not include the complimentary features needed to be affixed to the frame, and may degrade or resorb overtime.